Graham, who heads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association started by his father, credited Putin in the March issue of his group’s Decision magazine with protecting children from gay “propaganda” by signing a bill imposing fines on adults who discuss same-sex relationships in a non-negative way.

On the other hand, Graham wrote, President Barack Obama had sold himself out to promote “the gay-lesbian agenda.”

Graham claims he’s not endorsing Putin, mentioning that he’s never heard the Russian president quote a Bible verse and cites unspecified “controversies” in his personal life.

But he praises Putin as a “commanding presence” who is right to equate homosexuality with pedophilia in the law.

“Isn’t it sad, though, that America’s own morality has fallen so far that on this issue — protecting children from any homosexual agenda or propaganda — Russia’s standard is higher than our own?” Graham wrote.

The column was published Feb. 28, the day after Russian sent troops into Crimea.